TV

 7/1/25

TV Drama

lo:to explore the content and format of the unit 

do now

1-2 exams 

2-1hr 30mins

3-type of a media form has a certain set of characteristics 

4-farmers, older middle class white British women 

5-inform educate and entertain 

section A:

-q1 media language or representations 

-q2 media industries or audiences or context 

crime drama

genre-type of media that has a certain set of characteristics 

sub genre- where a larger genre is dived into smaller sub genres , each with their own set of conventions

hybrid drama- media texts that incorporate elements of more than one genre and are therefore more difficult to classify

the responder, happy valley, line of duty 

narrative

-

setting.                                               similarities : all build suspense in the into

-home in a city                                   dim lighting, starts with trying to stop a crime, aerial view, shown

                                                           from police perspective 

-uk

characters

police

criminals 

family 

swat 

 codes and conventions:

-often centred around police solving a crime

-exposure of the criminal

- complicated following of the clues 

- usually set in rural communities because crime rate is higher

-victim

-main character-intelligence and flawed in some way 

-a lot of suspects with reason and motive 

-villain is also intelligent and often one step ahead 

-character types-villain hero sidekick 

-representations of characters are challenging

-handheld camera work

impacts:

tension, enigmas 

the use of the conventions such as character representations being challenging or set in rural communities creates a sense of realness to the audience and makes them feel as if they are there in the scene. Over time this build up of events and sense of realness can create a lot of tension and suspense , therefore keeping the audience interested in the series 

10/1/25

TV industry

lo:to explore the television industry and audiences 

do now:

1-media texts that incorporate elements of more than one genre and are therefore more difficult to classify

2-Luther, the Sweeney

3-complicated following of clues 

4-handheld camera work

5-tension and suspense

-developments in technology allowed audience access to more digital streaming channels  

- means audiences can watch whatever they want, when they want, on whatever device they want

-event television-programme is popular with a big audience 

- digital television changed how we consume programmes and how we produce them

-wide variety means audiences are spread more thinly than in the past

-audience channel loyalty has decreased

-watershed-the time when tv programmes which might be unsuitable for children broadcast (9pm)

-peak time-the time at which the highest number of viewers are watching

-prime time-the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows 

public service broadcasting-"high quality content, made for as wide a range of audiences as possible, and for public benefit rather than purely commercial ends"

commercial service broadcasting-funded mainly through advertising available to all who pay licence fee

-all catch up services have to meet requirements-BBC is the strictest

-OF-COM regulates TV

BBC

-funded by license fee-earn 3.8 billion 

-mission is to act in the public interest , by providing impartial high quality programs which inform educate and entertain 

-nine national TV channels and extensive website

-BBC world service

-BBC America- American pay television that is jointly owned by BBC studios

-before catch up services, audiences could only watch a TV programme at the time it was broadcasted 

-built up excitement and get people talking about it -TV was more important in peoples lives 

-modern audiences have more choice and flexibility 

-second screen-watching on multiple devices at once 

-binge watching-escapism 

14/1/25

The Sweeney

lo; to explore the context of the set text 

do now

1-media texts that incorporate elements of more than one genre and are therefore more difficult to classify

2-Luther, the Sweeney

3-exposure of the criminal 

4-suspects with reason and motive

5-tension

the Sweeney:

-released in 1970s 

-produced by Euston films -division of Thames television

-filmed on location in parts of west London, adds to the realism and intensity

-programme used new techniques that have influenced the way TV is produced

-written by Ian Kennedy Martin

-both main actors became associated with TV crime dramas 

-broadcast at 9pm on weekday evenings on ITV

-narrative was structured into three sections around two add breaks

-obvious aesthetic differences from Luther 

historical context-

   .seen as groundbreaking as it introduced far less violence

   .includes elements of the police procedural sub genre , but also codes from the action genre 

   .focused on complex violent crime 

   .based on the real 'flying squad' - a division of the metropolitan police 

   .achieved many successes and involved in a corruption case for taking bribes 

   .economic problems from decline of manufacturing led to increase in imports 

   .international oil crisis in 1973 

   .strikes from postal workers

narrative-

   .episode starts with build up to the crime -main crime doesn't take place until later in the story 

   .ends with closure, the crime is prevented -main criminal is dead 

mis en sen-

-police wearing suits , have connotations of power and education 

-suggesting they aren't always working with the law, not as clean

-all women are either someones wife, mother or girlfriend 

-3 main jobs 

-women represented as weak , vulnerable, stereotypical roles 

connotations of wealth 

higher up criminals- more sophisticated and wealthy 

-use of music to build up tension 

-range of angles during fight scenes 

-ethnicity-no diversity 

17/1/25

Luther

lo:to explore the context of the set text

do now:

1-west London

2-9pm

3-time when only adult TV shows broadcast

4-fight scenes

5-jack Regan , George Carter

-produced by BBC

-written by Neil cross 

-first series aired on BBC 1 on Tuesday 4th may 2010

-available on i player 

-5 series and a Netflix film to date

-takes its title from the main protagonist-implies main detective will be strong and independent 

representation of ethnicity-

representation of gender-

Homework

1) scheduling impacts TV crime drama because it affects its audience.TV crime dramas broadcast during the watershed period , which means that majority of its audience is adults .This affects its peak time, as most people will sit down with family and watch TV programmes in the evening , however the time a TV show is broadcasted may not suit some peoples schedule ,so some may prefer to watch it on catch up services in their own time ,or binge watch a series or the whole show at once.

2)Audiences responses to crime drama might change over time because people may get used to the high technology and realism in TV crime drama , so it may not come of as exciting as when it was first used in the 70’s.

3)The benefits of commercial broadcasting are that it can target its audience , and therefore make more money through advertising, it is also not limited to an amount of money, because it is not funded by the government and makes profit from advertising. Commercial broadcasters also don’t have to worry about having content for everyone as its radios are usually only for its target audience.

4)production processes are what gives the effect of realism and high quality in TV crime dramas.For example, camera angles can make an audience feel like they are really in a fight scene , music can set a mood for a scene and filming in a real place can make a TV drama more convincing.

 

5)crime dramas are aimed at a range of audiences , so they have different structures from one another.For example, Luther has crimes that are solved over multiple episodes, so it may be good for people who like to binge watch series. However the Sweeney has crimes that are solved in one episode, for people who may prefer to watch one off episodes of a series.

21/1/25 

Luther

lo:to explore the characters of the set texts 

do now

1-john

2- BBC

3- Tuesday 4th may 2010

4-mystery psychological thriller 

5-murder realism low key lighting 

Propps character functions

-hero-leads the narrative, looking for something , doesn't have to be male 

-villain- has conflict with the hero 

-the donor- gives the hero something that helps hero complete their quests

-princess-starting to change in modern stories-prize or reward for the hero

-the helper-sidekick , help hero to compete their quest 

-princesses father- do not have to be related t o princess, authority figure

-false hero-takes credit for the hero's actions, looks like hero at the beginning 

-dispatcher-not a main character, combined with other roles

hero- john Luther, main character, detective, solving murder, (quest), violent 

princess-Zoe- hero's wife , hero needs to win her back 

villain- Alice Morgan , murdered parents, trying to take down the hero 

helper-Justin Ripley

donor-Ian Reed Rose Teller

princesses father-Rose Teller

false hero- Mark North

dispatcher-Ian Reed Rose Teller

24/1/25

Luther:genre and narrative

do now:

1-8

2-dispatcher, princess, false hero

3-violent, dubious morality 

4-gives hero something to complete their quest

5-the helper

Theory:Steve Neale 

-dominated by the repetition of codes and conventions 

-system of expectations 

-genres change develop and vary over time 

-genres overlap with other genres 

-each programme needs to offer something new (unique selling point)

-conventions from the thriller genre

-references to the horror genre

-elements of police procedural 

-characters in Luther are more complex and developed than in the Sweeney 

-developments in forensic techniques 

stock characters- typical characters you would find in a particular series 

Luther-maverick detective intelligent , not afraid to break the rules 

maverick detective-will do anything to solve a crime, interview with Alice , gun in the dog 

shoots her whole family, tries to manipulate Luther 

femme fatal-dangerous female character 

summarises previous case , inverted narrative 

partial resolution 

28/1/25

Luther:representation

lo:to explore the representations constructed in the set text 

do now:

1-codes and conventions 

2-unique selling point 

3-maverick detective 

4-typical character you would find in a particular series 

5-psychopathic killer and femme fatal

representation- the way in which something is portrayed in the media 

is the representation positive or negative

are there aspects which conform to traditional stereotypes in that area

are there aspects which challenge traditional stereotypes 

John Luther

-impulsive, negatively represented when he let Henry Madden fall to his death , positively represented as a police officer and when he saves people ,ambiguous ,

- masculine stereotypes- suit 

-isn't emotionally strong 

-black male in 21st century London-interesting representation-highly regarded by fellow officers 

-reacts with anger violence pain and suffering , multiple ways of reacting 

Hegemonic masculinity-cultural ideal manhood was primarily reflected of white , heterosexual , largely middle class males, which suggested a number of characteristics that men are encouraged to use.

chases the criminal and is confident , aggressive 

aggressive, courage and taking a risk 

Alice- smart, calculated

zoe-not scared 

rose-intelligent 

31/1/25

Luther:representation

do now:

1-hegemonic masculinity

2-emotional restraint 

3-the way something is portrayed in the media

4-empty space in shots

5-first black detective 

explain how Luther is a representation of hegemonic masculinity.

In the programme Luther, the eponymous hero is a representation of hegemonic masculinity.

Initially, in the opening scene Luther is represented as violent and risk-taking . This can be seen through the use of the scene where Luther is chasing Henry Madden through the old warehouse and he doesn't pull him up even after he confesses where the girl is.

Zoe- head strong , has a lot of emotions 

rose-Luthers boss , stands up for Luther , works hard , follows the rules , working mother 

how far are the characters in Luther typical of the genre?

Homework 

Explain how Luther supports Neal’s genre theory.

Luther supports Neale’s theory in many ways. One way is that its unique selling point is that the main character (john Luther) is the first black detective in TV crime drama. This gives the show something different about it and separates it from being like any other crime drama, therefore making it more interesting and gaining the show a bigger audience.The show also includes multiples genres (hybrid genre) as it has a detective genre, crime genre and is a psychological thriller, which also keeps the show interesting because it has so many different elements to it so an audience will want to keep watching.

4/2/25

industry and audience 

do now 

1-alice morgan 

2-violent, risk taking, success

3-emotional restraint

4-alice 

5-someone with something named after them 

Luther production

-BBC 1 offers a range of programme types and genres to appeal to a wide audience 

-remit -to create a high proportion of original programmes to reflect the diversity of the UK 

-BBC 1 aimed to exhibit high quality ,original and challenging in 2016-2017

important features:

-reflects diversity

-challenges stereotypes

-engaging 

-appeals to a wide audience 

distribution and scheduling 

-available on i player

-in 2012, BBC America started co-producing 

-BBC America is a part of BBC studios 

-crime drama brings a large part of BBC studios revenue 

-also available on prime video and DVD 

Audience appeal

-marketing was important for reaching audiences 

-trailer was released 

-longer preview released at end of April 

-an inside look video was produced for the US 

Luther website

-episodes 

-clips 

-access to social media 

-graphic novels 

-behind the scenes 

-interviews 

programme appeals

-genre is popular , hybrid genres -also includes unconventional elements , eg hero is flawed , female antagonist 

-star appeal , attractive and inspirational persona 

-narrative , female killer is highly unusual 

-representations - complex male and female characters eg Alice Morgan and Luther 

Audience appeal 

first episode had mixed reviews - mostly positive 

diss approve of violence 

femme fatal -negative 

the ending reflected reality 

The Sweeney 

negative reaction to lack of diversity , attitudes and how women are represented 

nostalgia 

retro 70s setting 

successful 

company developed more TV dramas 

7/2/25

context

do now

1-diversity, engaging 

2-BBC America 

3-interviews , youtube channel 

4-genre, star appeal 

5-no diversity, bad representation of women 

-changing viewing conditions 

-no pausing or re watching television 

-programmes would be shown once a week at the same time 

-long gap between episodes, closed narratives -if people missed a week the programme would still make sense 

-how people watch TV affects how TV is produced 

-contemporary viewing conditions 

-modern TV services allow audiences to watch on demand 

-changed how we watch television 

-led to more open narratives , where parts of the story unfolds over several episodes 

-modern television have more complex narratives and characters 

-audiences have greater understanding of programmes and can understand multi strand narratives 

70's context 

-more traditional gender roles 

-less gender equality 

-Britain was more  diverse and multicultural then it had been  , racial discrimination was high , minority ethnic groups were represented 

-flying squad was accused of being corrupt and taking bribes

-period of upheaval - strikes shortages and economic problems 

examples:

-one female police officer was used to babysit detectives girlfriend 

-no diversity in cast - all white 

-main detectives threatened to frame criminal-corrupt 

-set in London, high crime rates in that area 

contemporary context

-more female characters with key roles 

-antagonist is female 

-cast is diverse 

-London represented as cosmopolitan , finance city 

Explain how crime dramas reflect the time in which they are made?

How crime dramas are produced depends on how an audience would view it at the time. For example, the Sweeney showed one episode a week at the same time, and each episode had a different crime that was solved at the end of each weeks episode- this is an example of a closed narrative.Episodes were produced like this because audiences could not pause or re watch episodes, so if they missed one week then they would still be able to understand the narrative and pick up from where they left off as it would be a new crime.

Homework

How far are the characters in Luther typical of the genre?

In television, genres are not static but rather change and develop over time, and sometimes overlap with each other.This refers to the Steve Neale theory.

Firstly, the eponymous Luther is very stereotypical as a maverick detective, a stock character for crime drama.This representation is best shown through the way he doesn’t always do things the way I supposed to and often breaks the rules to solve a crime.For example, when he doesn’t pull Henry Madden back up even after he tells him where the girl is , and lets him fall to his death.Even though he doesn’t technically do anything wrong here , an audience would expect a detective to follow the rules and want to give everyone a chance, so when Luther doesn’t do that it may intrigue an audience to some extent. Furthermore he also breaks into Alices apartment, which is a crime and the opposite of what a detective should do.

Secondly, Alice is also a very stereotypical character of crime drama in a representation as a femme fatal.This is shown primarily through how she uses her femininity to try to manipulate Luther.An example of this is when she is on the bridge with Luther and says “kiss me, kill me, do something”.This shows that Alice is extremely intelligent and uses any advantage she has over Luther against him, therefore she cannot be trusted and is very dangerous.Furthermore, she is also a very stereotypical femme fatal example because she wears red lipstick, which has connotations of danger and is usually associated with villains in most TV crime dramas.

In contrast,Zoe is a more complex character that both conforms to and challenges stereotypical femininity.She is represented as very head strong and as having a lot of emotions at the same time.This is shown through when she tells Luther she is having an affair and doesn’t appear scared or intimidated by him, and refuses to tell him who the man is when he asked several times.This shows that she doesn’t back down easily and has her own life without needing to rely on Luther, which is not stereotypical of women in crime drama, however on the other hand she is only shown as Luthers wife and seems to have a lot of emotions, which is very stereotypical of how women are usually represented.

Overall, the characters in Luther are very conventional for a crime drama , with some small variations.The conventional characters are Luther and Alice , however less conventional is Zoe.

11/2/25

Extract analysis

do now

1-media language- camerawork ,sound ,editing , mis en sen 

2-camerawork-angle, shot type, movement

3-diegetic sound- sound you would hear if you were in the world of the text

4-crosscutting- the editing cuts between two scenes 

5-framing- how a shot is composed 

technical notes-camera shots, angles and movements, editing

audio codes-diegetic vs non diegetic sound, dialogue, music, sound effects

visual codes- mis en sen , lighting, framing and composition 

camerawork and editing:

Luther opening scene- crosscutting, intense background music , shot reverse shot

-crosscutting-too see both people perspectives and gives the feeling that both are running out of time 

-intense background music-builds suspense , intrigues the audience 

-shot reverse shot-builds the tension between them and shows their and /intimidation  

14/2/25

extract analysis

do now:

1-camerawork, editing, sound, mis en sen 

2-movement

3-sound that the characters cannot hear 

4-editing cuts from someone to what they are looking at 

5-canted angle - when the camera is tilted 

 

25\2\25

Extract analysis 

do now-

-medium long shot 

-camera movement 

-mise en scene 

-show an interaction 

-the camera is at an angle 

-modern 

-empty space behind him -main character 

-work on desk -hardworking 

shot reverse shot 

empty/plain setting 

difference in clothing -suit vs comfy 

sad/slow music 

chess on the table 

explore the representations of gender in this extract 

male-masculine, protective 

female-weak , object between two  men 

ethnicity- luther represented as an animal, aggressive 

28/2/25

Extract analysis 

Do now 

-stereotypes and positive/negative 

-hair, makeup, props 

-2

-2

-3/4 paragraphs 

stereotypical-

offices covered in paperwork 

big city

London-known for high crime rate 

non stereotypical-

not a rural area- Zoe attacked in the open 

costumes-

-smart, suits - shows importance of jobs 

-non stereotypical for women 

Zoe also dressed smart - contrasting her being presented as weak 

-alices clothes could represent her intelligence and power 

1a)

Costumes create meaning in this extract of Luther because they are mostly a reflection of the characters jobs.For example, Luther and his colleagues all wear a suit and tie- this is because as detectives they are considered high ranking police officers-so their clothes highlight their importance.Also, Luthers clothes could represent his importance as a character and how the whole show is centred around him.His suit and tie are grey and he doesn't wear a blazer, which could suggest his tired and frustration from trying to catch Alice Morgan and that he feels angry and sad about being cheated on by Zoe.

Alices clothes also tell us a lot about her as a character.For example, her clothes are also considered smart however they are more casual then Luthers.This suggests to us that she is also an important character and shows her intelligence as smart clothes often have connotations of smart people or high paying jobs.her clothes are also dark and her hair is cut short and died dark brown/black.This gives ideas that she is out for revenge on Luther whilst still being smart about it as dark colours have connotations of villains and fear.This contrasts when she had red hair because she seemed innocent, however now that we know she is the villain her hair has drastically changed.

Zoe is also dressed quite smartly as it seems she has just come out of work.Her clothes are very similar to Alices, however the colours that she is wearing are lighter.This shows us that Zoe is also very intelligent ,but she doesn't use this in a way that Alice does.We also see Zoe running away after Alices attack, which contrasts how she is dressed because in that moment she is presented as weak and fragile-however her clothes have connotations of intelligence and importance.

1b)

One stereotypical location shown in this extract of Luther is Luthers office.It is covered in paper work and maps are pinned up on the walls -which further suggests that he has a typical detectives job.the office is also very dark with dark coloured walls and dark wooden floors.This is also very stereotypical for tv crime dramas as it has connotations that Luther is hardworking and wont stop until he has solved the case -as with most crime dramas the case gets solved by the main detective at the end of an episode/series.

unfinished 

Homework

1a)

In the TV crime drama ‘Luther’ Roses costume (Luther’s boss) is very anti stereotypical for how women are usually represented.She wears a shirt, waistcoat and trousers.This outfit is not stereotypical because it has connotations of masculinity , as suits/smart clothes are usually worn to important jobs or businesses which stereotypically majority men attended, so it is unusual that this is Roses costume and also that she is Luthers boss.

Another character is Zoe(Luther’s wife), who is usually dressed in very feminine, smart clothes as she works as a lawyer.Generally, she is wearing a knee length skirt with a shirt and blazer with some jewellery.This has connotations of intelligence and femininity, which suggests to us that she is a headstrong character whilst also being presented as weak at times -as stereotypically a woman in a TV crime drama is represented as less competent then the men.

1b)

John Luther is partially stereotypical for a detective in a TV crime drama.He is majority represented as a maverick detective- as some of his qualities include that he is very intelligent and not afraid to break the rules.However, the fact he is not afraid to break rules is also his downfall, as he often acts on things that get him into trouble later (for example when he lets Henry Madden fall).This is typical for a crime drama because without the detective acting out in some way, the series would not be as interesting.

However , he is not a typical detective in the way that he was the first black detective to be in a TV crime drama series.This ment that the show gained a large audience and made Luthers character even more interesting-including the way he acts and thinks.